I posted on here before - previously sunnyjo, whilst experiencing severe depression/anxiety. Having been medicated for at least 11 years, I now believe that the antidepressant medication has produced more intense depression, anxiety that before the medication. For the past 6 years, I have at the advise of doctors changed medication, changed doses and from research that I have been reading, it seems like these drugs and especially making a lot of changes like these create a lot of instability in the nervous system. However, it is not often recognised and it is then diagnosed as a further or another mental illness requiring more medication. I just wanted to raise awareness here and if anyone feels that this also maybe the case for them please pm me and I can give you links to information support.

Upward1 wrote:
I posted on here before - previously sunnyjo, whilst experiencing severe depression/anxiety. Having been medicated for at least 11 years, I now believe that the antidepressant medication has produced more intense depression, anxiety that before the medication. For the past 6 years, I have at the advise of doctors changed medication, changed doses and from research that I have been reading, it seems like these drugs and especially making a lot of changes like these create a lot of instability in the nervous system. However, it is not often recognised and it is then diagnosed as a further or another mental illness requiring more medication. I just wanted to raise awareness here and if anyone feels that this also maybe the case for them please pm me and I can give you links to information support.

Hello,

I am not surprised by what you expose here. Medication only deals with the effects of depression/anxiety, not with the causes ... they only sedate but do not heal at all, they even make the situation worse, like with alcohol or drugs addictions ... ultimately all addictions are just self-medication for neuroses ...

Therefore the cause of depression/anxiety must be looked for.

I would recommend you the reading of Dr Arthur Janov's book "The Primal Scream" which explains quite well the root of all neuroses, and also

Jon Kabat Zinn is a recognized physician and therapist, specialized in the healing of stress and depression through mindful meditation. He is the founder of a technique called MBSR (Minfulness Based Stress Reduction) which gains more and more momentum among medical/psychotherapy practitioners.

"What irritates us about others is an opportunity to learn on ourselves"
(Carl Jung)

I'm coming off the medication now slowly really very clever of the pharmaceutical companies to produce a drug with such devasting withdrawals that you are almost forced back on. I have good days where I am able to use the tools here and mindfulness etc other times I'm in such severe distress that nothing helps at all..apparently this is the pattern of withdrawal and nervous system damage from long term use.

Upward1 wrote:I'm coming off the medication now slowly really very clever of the pharmaceutical companies to produce a drug with such devasting withdrawals that you are almost forced back on. I have good days where I am able to use the tools here and mindfulness etc other times I'm in such severe distress that nothing helps at all..apparently this is the pattern of withdrawal and nervous system damage from long term use.

It could be withdrawal or it could be the illness, this depends on your weening schedule, symptoms, time frame of onset/persistence, severity and other factors.

It is withdrawal..I've asked that question a lot and up until recently have trusted professionals that tell me it's my underlying 'illness'.

Phil, I have asked the question while in distress - this has been going on for many years - just ending up more frustrated that there seems to be no answers and being told by professionals that I'm not trying hard enough. It hit me in the gut one day months ago that the drugs are my problem - a very clear knowing - the only piece of intuition to be had for a long time. So for now I have to just ride out the distress - including de realisation (ongoing perception that nothing is real) the world seems to be 2D, intense suicidal thoughts and feelings, not being able to feel anything totally numb, an awful sense of dread and horror all the time in this state, ongoing panic, confusion and unable to have coherent thoughts, not being able to feel where my body is in space. And physical symptoms nausea, burning nerve pain, migraines, muscle cramps, jerking and twitching.

And then I have periods being symptom free - totally symptom free where the world and myself seem to return to normal perception.

Anyway my only intention to post here was to bring awareness to this problem. The original reason that I went on them was for worry and panic whilst experiencing normal but upsetting life events. Worry and panic are nowhere near what I've listed above as the drug induced mental illness.